Life preserver



H. A. GOLDSMITH LIFE PRESERVER Jan. 23, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed NOV. 13, 1946 ZLMMK Jan. 23, 1951 H. A. GOLDSMITH LIFE PRESERVER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 13, 1946 BY m W/ff Jan- 23, 1951 H. A. GOLDSMITH LIFE PRESERVER 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. 13, 1946 INVENTOR. I'VE/VF) 4. 60105/24/77/ Wm 4 WW M -///.4 iffd/P/Vi/f Patented Jan. 23, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE LIFE 'PRESERVER Henry .A. Goldsmith, Dayton, Qh s Application {November 13, li-ldfii sei ialNn. I. 1. a i i-+1 (Granted under the act of MarchS, 1883, as

The invention described herein maybe manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without payment to me of anyroyalty thereon.

This invention relates to life preservers and particularly to life v preservers vof the pneumatic ty An o'bjectof the invention is to provide a pneu .r atic .il e prese ver the' fl ta e spac of wh ch s v d i o sep a e comp tmen by bulkheads of relatively th n h ghl r si ma ial. such, o in ance as l tex ru b she ting wit s pa at infla i n means on ect d into t s a on each side of the bulkhead, whereby, if either sidefleaks or either inflation means fails to function, or in the event inflation is intentionally aoconiplished through one of the inflation means only, the inflation pressure will "merely expand the bulkhead into the side which is .not being ,infiated and the device .Wl'll nevertheless be iniiated to substantially full capacity.

amended April 30, 1928; 370 OY. 7 573).

Another object of the invention is to provide ajlife preserving device for persons subjected 'to drowning hazards which may be secured to "the o y and worn in the deflat ond i asfp 'i of their standard equipment without discomfort and without interfering with their normal duties.

Another vobject of the invention is to so shape and proportion the several parts of the device that when it is inflated and in the water it will right itself from any position and support the "wearer in a sli t y ecl n ng p st r ith s headon a comfortable 'head rest'we'll above the water, irrespective of the type of clothing being Worn and irrespective of whether the wearer is conscious .or unconscious.

Wherein,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the bot tom and the "left side of the device when inflated, the left side carrying the automatic and oral inflation means and the bottom carrying the snap fasteners which are provided for holding the device in accordion shape when it is being worn deflated.

Fig. 2 is a perspectiveview showing the top and the right side of "the device when inflated, the right side carrying ajseoond set of inflation means like that shown in Fig. 1 and the top showing the collar andchin rest.

Fig. 3 is another perspective view showing the top :and right ,side of the device with part of the collar and part of the frontal container broken away to v show the bulkheads and the in which they must 'be j'oined to divide the inflatable space of the device into two parts, ,each part inflatab'le by its own set of inflation 'means.

Fig. 4 is a rear perspective view of the device showing the manner of attachment of the ihar- .ness.

Figs. 5 and'6 are .perspective views ofthe device when deflated and strapped to a user showing the collar collapsed and the frontal container folded up a a ns t dy Fissh ws th devi on, a w a after i fict on has been aceoxnn sh sh w g h h device provides both a pillow ,for the wears comfort pending rescue and achin rest to insure that Another bject is to p v de as part of t e I structure, .an inflatable cQll-ar, which when deflated, has a large, loose and comfortable neck opening, but which by inflation, is snugged more closely to the neck, whereby slipping of the wearers head through the collar is avoided.

Another object is to join the front or open p f e coillar to the .irontal container in uch a manner that inflation of the frontal container will form ,a .chin rest at its upper .end which :will prevent face down flotation should unconsciousness overtake the wearer so thathis head would slump forward.

Another object is to provide the device witha coating of fluorescent die of a bright hue .whereby it will remain visible and distinguishable ,at distances at which normal colors remain black or are unseen.

Other objects and advantages will be become evident as the invention is iurther described with reference to the drawings,

his head will not slump forward should he be- .come unconscious.

like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

As shown in the drawings, the improved life preseryer consists 10f two main units, a collar It and ,a frontal container i2, both preferably made .of syn c o natuta ru be -co ted .nylon ,fabric, the ,collar being of more .or less horseshoe shape with the open .partof the horseshoejjoined at I4 and it (see Figs. 1 and 2) to the frontal container near but not quite at, the upper end. It should be noted that the .upper endsurface l1, Fig. ,2, of the frontal container i2 is .so shaped that it .bulges upward when inflated .110 form a chi-n rest for the wearer.

The space within the frontal container 12 is divided into two substantially equal compartments t8 and 250 .(see Fig. 3.) by .a vertical bulkhead or diaphragm 22 of highly resilient mate rial, preferably latex rubber sheeting .or the like.

The vertical-bulkhead .22 at theupper end merges into a ring-like bulkhead ,28 of like material which divides the space within thecollar it into two chambers .24 and 26. Vertical bulkhead .22 and ringl-ikebulkhead .28 may be made up of .a

number of pieces or may consist of a, single piece as shown. In either event the parts 22 and 28 will constitute a single bulkhead and may be designated by the numeral 23. With the bulkhead 23 constructed and positioned as shown the circular chamber 24 of the collar and the compartment 2a of the frontal container merge at 30, while the circular chamber 26 and the compartment I8 merge at 32.

Chamber 24 and compartment 20, when connected together as one may be collectively referred to as the enclosure 2| while chamber, 26 and compartment I8, when connected together as one, may be collectively referred to as the enclosure [9. Either one of the two enclosures 19 or 2| is of sufficient capacity when inflated to support the wearer with. his head above water.

The automatic inflation means consists of two carbon dioxide cylinders contained in holders 34 and 35a fixed to the left and right side, respectively, of the frontal container 12, the holders being provided with lever means 38 and 35a actuable manually by cords 33 and 38a to puncture the cylinders and allow the gas to escape into the inflatable cavities. lhe holder 34, Fig. 1, is so placed on the left side of the frontal container 12 that it discharges into the enclosure l3, while the holder Sta, Fig. 2, is so placed on the right side of the frontal container l2 that it discharges into the enclosure 21.

V The oral inflation means is provided as a supplement to the automatic inflation means to replenish air supply which may be lost by leakage or as a substitute in case the automatic inflation fails. It consists of two flexible tubular members 3G and 80a with check valves 52 and 42a at the outer end biased for inflow of air and against return flow. The member 40, Fig. 1, is so placed on the left side of the front container 12 that it discharges into the enclosure 2|, while the member 23a, 2, is so placed on the right side of the frontal container I2 that it discharges into the enclosure [9.

Secured to a tab 44 which depends from the back of the collar IE! is a harness which consists of two straps 56 preferably of nylon webbing about one and one-half inches wide and having a tensile strength of about eighteen hundred pounds per inch of width, attached to the tab M in the form of an inverted V. The free ends of the straps are brought around the body of the wearer and held in quick acting buckles 42 which are secured to tabs 58 near the lower end of the frontal container.

When the device is deflated and on the body of a wearer, the collar is a comfortable free fit around the wearers neck and the front container may be folded up against the body in accordion fashion and held in that position by the snap fasteners 52, Fig. l.

The use of the device may preferably be carried out substantially as follows:

Assuming that as a matter of precaution the device, in the deflated condition has been strapped to the body as seen in Figs. and 6. In this condition the wearer may go about his work in comfort. The collar H] now fits loosely, the frontal container 12 is collapsed in accordion fashion against the chest, and the chin rest bulge l is in the lowered position. If the need for a life preserver arises he ,may, either before or after he enters the water, pull the cords 38 and 3811 which will pierce the carbon dioxide cartridges and inflate both enclosures i9 and 2| equally and automatically. As inflation proceeds and the frontal container I2 fills, the collar is brought up closer to the neck, the back of the collar rising to provide a head rest and the bulge I"! on the upper side of the frontal container I2 rising to provide a chin rest, as seen in Fig. 7. If rescue is delayed and slight leakage of the original inflation occurs, he may replenish the air supply through the oral means. If either enclosure H5 or 2| is punctured, or if the inflation means for either enclosure fails to function, additional inflation of the operative side j will merely stretchand force the bulkhead over into the defective enclosure and thus correspondinglyenlarge the undamaged side.

Having described an embodiment of my invention, I claim:

A pneumatic life preserver which comprises, in combination, an inflatable vertically disposed frontal container adapted, when deflated, to flatten up against the chest of the wearer, and having a bulgeable portion on the top surface of said frontal container, adapted, upon inflation to form a chin rest, an inflatable horizontally disposed horseshoe shaped collar having the open ends of the horseshoe connected into the right and left sides of the vertically disposed frontal container near the upper end thereof, the rear portion of the collar being widened to provide a pillow for the wearer when the collar is inflated, a continuousbulkhead of highly flexible sheet material extending vertically from right to left through the vertical container midway of its fore and aft walls, said continuous bulkhead then narrowing to a ribbon placed edgewise between the top and bottom walls of the collar midway between the outer and inner periphery of the collar, thereby dividing the space within the preserver into two substantially equal enclosures each composed of one of the two spaces within the frontal container and one of the two spaces within the collar and each of which, when inflated, is symmetrically disposed with respect to the body of the wearer, separate gas cartridge means for automatically inflating each enclosure, separate 7 means for orally inflating each enclosure, whereby, when one enclosure becomes punctured or leaks from other causes, full inflation may nevertheless be achieved by introducing double the normal volume of air or other gas into theother, thereby forcing said bulkhead of highly flexible sheet material against the outer wall of the leaking enclosure, harness straps attached to the back of the collar, and quick acting buckles on the sides of the frontal container near the bottom thereof for receiving the free ends of said straps.

HENRY A. GOLDSMITH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,245,033 Ross Oct. 30, 1917 1,798,430 Markus Mar. 31, 1931 1,938,610 Robertson Dec. 12, 1933 2,046,335 Manson July. 7, 1936 2,128,423 Manson Aug. 30, 1938 2,210,809 Gray Aug. 6, 2,359,843 Harris Oct. 10, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 420,737 Germany Oct. 30, 1925 

